DaisyMaeDuke

"Came home...then Daisy and I went for a walk before the storm," replied Luke. "Came on quick...we got caught in it..."

Luke sighed rubbing the back of his neck a little. He must have slept wrong, what little he did sleep, and bending over fixing the blasted wood didn't help any. "Have fun last night?" he asked though not looking up from his work.

You know...I always heard that the elderly sleep an awful lot...guess that much is true...

Luke stood in the barn, fixing the loose boards of the wall. He looked over as Bo came in. "Mornin'."

"You didn't think...ya didn't mean ta...that's all I hear outta you lately..." He sighed heavily. "Work before play Bo...you know that. Now we got us a barn that needs mendin'...you get yourself some breakfast and then I wanna see hind ends and elbows out there takin' care of the damage."

"Must've been some tour of town you gave her once the storm hit..." he grumbled. "Bo now I know that you are over 21...but there are still rules and as long as you live here, you'll abide by them...an' one of em is t' be home in time for breakfast and chores...which ya ain't."

"We-ell, lookee here," said Jesse looking up from his newspaper having served breakfast more than an hour ago. "Seems I do have two nephews after all..."

Early the next morning, Luke was in the barn once more, doing chores. Bo never had come home that night but whether it was because he didn't want to see Luke or had a lady to distracthim, he didn't know. The storm had done damage while it lasted and he worked with a tight mouth, thinking over things but, as always, keeping his troubles very much to himself.

Luke yawned, his eyes beginning to close. It had been a long day...and it was starting to catch up with him.

Luke emerged from the show half hour later, his hair a mass of tight, wet curls, wearing only his boxers as he dried off with a fluffy towel, before going to his room and slipping under the warm blankets. He stared at the ceiling and wondered what Bo was doing, and thought about the things Daisy had said. Did Bo really feel that he was being replaced by this little homeless boy? And what about the whole circumstance with Judd? Why is it that he was just now finding out? Didn't Bo understand that he was Luke's brother more than Judd could ever be? He wondered if, right now, Zack was sleeping or if, like Luke, he was lying awake thinking about things. He smiled a little imagining what the little boy must look like when he slept, imagining him hugging George close as he did. Just then a loud crack of thunder shook the house, causing Luke to cling to the sheets white knuckled. He never used to be afraid of storms...not until Nam... He wasn't in Nam now though...he had a roof above him...Jesse and Daisy nearby...he was home, he told himself. No need to be afraid. He wasn't cold under the warm blankets, but his body still shivered.

*doesn't smile, having not even been paying attention to him* Huh? You say somethin Uncle Jesse?

Luke bit his lip as he felt her hand, and listened to the soft words. "Thanks Daisy," he said quietly turning to go into the bathroom himself. In his mind though, sharing some of the things that bothered him just wasn't an option. Heck,telling them about Zack and what he wanted to do had upset the happy family enough...he wasn't about to make it worse.

Maybe Rog didn't see my post..they say one's sght is the first thing to go....

In no time at all Luke had the barn sorted and was bak inside the house. He locked up too, but left the porch light on for Bo, just in case. e then stood in front of the fire trying to warm himself and rid his mind of the things he was thinking about.

"Be as quick as I can," promised Luke, as he took a deep breath and opened the door back up. Lightning continued to flash across the sky, thunder rumbling low. He gulped and hurried to the barn.

Luke led her quietly inside, their uncle being away at Old Mr. Perkins' place helping to birth a cow. "You best go get dry..." he said, looking back out the window, not really wanting to go back out in the storm but knowing he should check the stock. "I need to make sure the barn is tight..."

"I guess," he said shakily. "S'yer fault...for cookin' so good." Her arms felt nice around his waist as he hugged her back in return. His heart was still thumping so loud he was sure that she could hear it, but he said nothing about it. Instead he opened the door, once he could do so without his trembling hands giving away his nervousness, and held the door open for her.

By the time they reached the porch rain was pouring down in a full-fledged storm. With each boom of thunder, Luke's insides quaked, his heart racing all the more. "Well...we...escaped ...the worst...of it..." he said trying to catch his breath as his heart thumped madly. "Guess...I'm outta shape..." he made excuse. Outta shape...what a sorry excuse that sounded like, even to Luke. He knew that physically he was in his prime. Between the conditioning he had received in Nam and the daily routine of farmwork, Luke was more muscular and in shape than he had ever been. He hoped that Daisy accepted the lame excuse for his panting...for his pounding heart...because although he loved Daisy like his sister, there were things that he doubted she and Bo would ever understand... and his time in Nam was one of them.

Poor Roger...hey wait...you're older than me....if I am calling myself old...what does that make you?!

The new Dukes

Luke had never told anyone about Nam, about the things he went through, no one that is except for Bo, and even then many of the things he shared were watered down, like Boar's Nest beer, because Luke didn't like to hurt anyone without a good reason, intentionally or not. As such no one knew why the sound bothered him so much; no one could see him swallow hard in the night.

I agree...if Boss'd share his food once in a while the poor sheriff wouldnt hafta resort to such drastic measures!

Half-walking, half-running they hurried through the rainstorm. A loud crack of lightning sounded above them. The sound, as it always did since he came back from Nam, made Luke jump inside his shirt but he only squeezed Daisy's hand tighter as they ran towards the farmhouse, rain now pouring down on them.

"We better head back," said Luke eventually. He turned around and started back towards the farmhouse still holding Daisy's hand in his own. A low rumble sounded across the hills. "And fast."

As was custom, Luke didn't say much. His mind was filled with all kinds of thoughts, most of which he had already voiced to Daisy. There seemed to be no need to continue. Besides, it was enough just to be outside with Daisy.